Transphobic unfortunately. Took a sharp turn and lost me, did not finish as a result. I could follow the author's faulty logic only so far. The rest of the book did not make up for this diversion into a misunderstanding of trans experience and its intersections with anorexia/dysmorphia. Could have been an interesting study if the author had been able to step back and not bring her personal feelings/judgements into analysis.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

"Good Girls" by Hadley Freeman is a thoughtful exploration of feminism and the influence of cultural icons on women's lives. This book delves into the lives of inspiring women who defied societal norms and expectations, leaving a lasting impact on the world.

Freeman's writing style is insightful and engaging, immersing readers in the stories of remarkable women and the societal contexts that shaped their experiences. The author skillfully weaves together historical research and personal narratives, creating a narrative that celebrates the achievements and challenges of these extraordinary individuals.

At the heart of the book is an examination of feminism, the intersections of gender and culture, and the ways in which women have navigated a world that often imposed limitations on their aspirations. The author explores the legacies of trailblazers, challenging readers to reflect on the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

"Good Girls" successfully balances historical context with personal anecdotes, resulting in a book that is both informative and deeply resonant. The themes of empowerment, representation, and the importance of recognizing the contributions of women throughout history add depth to the narrative.

In conclusion, "Good Girls" is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that celebrates the achievements of remarkable women and their impact on society. If you're looking for a book that offers insights into feminism, cultural shifts, and the power of women's voices, this book provides a compelling and engaging exploration that will leave you inspired and enlightened.

Suspenseful, Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Great novel that will be the perfect to lose yourself in. Thank you Net Galley and Tor for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

One of the best books I've ever read. There is so much misunderstanding and misinformation out there about anorexia, spread by people who don't know much better and even survivors alike, all because of the narratives we're repeatedly told. Freeman's story was brutally honest, and her research and reflection were incredibly nuanced. I wish I could make this book required for the whole world, or at least for people to read before they ever speak about anorexia. It included so much that I feel like I've been screaming out into the void my whole life, with no one really listening. I binged it in one day and nearly highlighted the thing to death, because Freeman constantly hit the nail on the head. It was beautiful.

My only concern for this book is that people with a lack of ability to discern nuance will read it and dismiss it: there is a section on the connection between anorexia and gender dysphoria during/before puberty that is really nuanced and carefully tread, but also honest. I fear that people will read it as anti-trans or anti-compassionate care for children who are questioning their gender identity. But I can only hope and pray it will be understood and well-received, because this book really does do such an excellent job at explaining why adolescents, and mostly girls, develop anorexia at the particular time they do.

Thank you a million times over to Hadley Freeman for writing this book with such honesty and care, and thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hadley Freeman shares with us her personal story of dealing with an eating disorder.She shares her intimate story and also shares facts and. Information to advise.very well written very informative.#netgalley #simonandschuster

I was already a fan of Hadley Freeman's writing so was eager to read this and learn more about her story. She did a great job of sharing her personal journey with an eating disorder alongside information about EDs for those who may not be as familiar as well as noting how much of eating disorder culture and causes are tied to sexism and perceptions of women's bodies. Very readable.

Good Girls, A study and story of Anorexia, details Hadley Freeman’s struggles with this disorder. Hadley is no stranger to Anorexia as she has struggled with it for over 20 years. Ms. Freeman provides the reader with not only her experiences with hospitalizations, treatment, advice/views from doctors, but also, discussions and information from renowned doctors/researchers investigating the disease, outcomes, and treatment methodologies. Not only does she present her viewpoint of treatment, but she also elicits information from other individuals in treatment. It was definitely an interesting read into the world of eating disorders and their treatments. I would have liked to have gained further information on what treatment methodologies work best for eating disorders, but perhaps, that is individual specific. As other viewpoints and experiences were presented, I would have also enjoyed a view at other types of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder and bulimia to gain a contrast in treatment views/methods for the differing disorders. This book is written in an easy to read format for a “not easy to read” disease. This is a very important topic as many young girls today suffer from body dysmorphia, and issues with body image that may likely lead to an eating disorder. Hadley Freeman concludes the book with a message of hope for other young girls dealing with the pressures of a perfect body/body image. This is a very good book on the topic of anorexia. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eating disorder memoirs can be difficult reads for me - I’ve been struggling with my own disorder for over a decade. There’s a fine line between a readable memoir and a triggering one. Freeman did a wonderful job with this one and I finished the book feeling hopeful.

A very thorough memoir/research study. I appreciated how she paced her personal story and interspersed research and facts. It made it a satisfying, deeply informative read.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started reading Good Girls. I knew Hadley Freeman, the author, had spent time in and out of hospitals for an Eating Disorder, but the book wasn’t labeled as a “memoir”. It ended up being half memoir, half journalistic essay — and very well-written, IMO!

Hadley did struggle with an eating disorder for years, and I think she was able to really connect with her research because of her own personal experiences. That said, there was A LOT of information. A few pages required me to re-read so I fully understood the gist. I wouldn’t consider this “triggering” at all, but I also wouldn’t call it “light reading”. Good Girls balanced the author’s own experience with (sometimes conflicting) medical advice and anecdotes that were fascinating.

Good Girls was VERY informative and compared the various treatments for eating disorders in the 90s vs now, and Hadley even interviews some of the women who were in the hospital with her, over 20 years ago.

This book was really good but also heartbreaking all at the same time. This book is a memoir about our main character Hadley, and her struggles with anorexia and how this terrible disease took over her whole life. I loved how she showed how quickly this disease sprung up on her but it was absolutely devastating to read about how her views of her body changed when she was at such a young age. I think that it was so sad to read about a child thinking that they were disgusting just for being a normal child and knowing that this actually happens to many young girls makes me break for them. This book was very different than all the other books that I’ve read about eating disorders because instead of this story being all about her hiding her disease and getting better this took a much different spin on things. The author wrote this book in a much slower way so you got the feeling that this was taking place in real time instead of her retelling the events. You were able to see the disease slowly start and mutate from the very beginning and see how quickly it took over Hadleys’ entire life. It wasn’t until about halfway through the book that it changed and turned very clinical at parts and I felt more like I was reading a textbook about a disease instead of reading a memoir of a real life. This left me feeling a little disjointed and took me right out of the wonderful story that was being presented in the beginning. Thankfully this changed back quickly and I’m so glad that I didn’t give up on the story. When Hadley is admitted to the hospital we get a lot more stories on how she felt and her life which is why I was so fascinated to read this in the first place. While I liked parts of this book, parts of it felt cold and there was a time when I struggled to finish it but that passed quickly. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad that I got the chance to check it out. I feel that I learned a lot about a disease that is constantly evolving and learned how much it truly takes over a person’s life.

Freeman was barely a teenager when she developed anorexia, and she spent the next few years in and out of—mostly in—hospital. She recovered, but for decades afterward it was a tenuous version of recovery, holding just steady enough to avoid another cycle of downward spirals. In "Good Girls", she draws on that experience to both tell her own story and dig a bit deeper into the cultural context and understanding of anorexia, then and now.

I'm particularly interested in Freeman's discussion of the intersections between autism, gender dysphoria, and eating disorders—she's not the first to make the connections, but they're new enough connections that I am only now starting to see some of them in books. Freeman clarifies early on that she neither has questioned her gender nor is on the autism spectrum, but it's still one of the deeper looks at the connections that I've seen in book form, and it makes me wonder whether she has written (or researched) an article or two on the subject.

By and large, "Good Girls" is not a huge departure from other eating-disorder memoirs. That's less a criticism than an observation that there's a limit to how different stories of repeat hospitalizations can be; if you've read one well-written book on the experience there are probably quite a lot of others you can scratch off the list. (Good thing I'm not good at scratching unread books off the list, I suppose.) I would note that this is definitely not a healthy book for anyone not already healthy or securely in recovery; Freeman makes an effort to step away from specifics, but eating disorders are masters at fostering competition, and even without specific numbers there's quite a lot of competitive material in here.

Freeman's descriptions of the treatment she received as a teenager can be incisive; it is of course impossible to say how things might have been different had she been treated under a different model, but the descriptions of her treatment in the 90s are largely bleak. Much has changed (late in the book she reports visiting one of the hospitals where she spent time and noting markers of more individualized treatment, such as different meal plans), but it will be interesting to see how current treatment is viewed in another ten or twenty years.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Freeman has done a fantastic job sharing her personal journey with anorexia and stories of others she has known. There is a great deal of research information combined with true stories. This makes it a much more human read. I thank NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Five stars! Well done. Important book for people to read.

Hadley Freeman, a recovering anorexic, has written a most remarkable book documenting the disease from her own point of view of experiencing multiple hospitalizations for it, and describing her life in between those hospitalizations.

Her personal story is interspersed with research and facts, many presented after her own personal ordeal in her teens and early 20s, as research on anorexia has become more widely studied and available.

Freeman takes us into her world of OCD during her severe anorexic remissions; then her distraction to the world of drugs as she remains committed to not dying from self-starvation.

There is an enormous amount of personal revelation, both to the author herself and to us, about the dynamics of anorexia.

A very important addition to the ever-widening library of eating disorders literature.

My one criticism is that there is no mention of childhood sexual abuse, or sexual assault as being a precursor to anorexia. It's a fact that that is a major factor for some in developing eating disorders.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.